British Retail Consortium
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) plays a key role in supporting the UK retail sector, including jewellers, through advocacy, policy development, and industry standards. For jewellery trade professionals, understanding BRC initiatives helps navigate regulatory changes, consumer trends, and challenges facing the wider retail landscape. Jewellery Focus provides coverage on BRC updates, reports, campaigns, and insights into how its work impacts jewellers, suppliers, and stakeholders across the industry.
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Apr- 2017 -12 AprilEconomy
BRC: Retail sales growth hits six-year low
UK retail sales have decreased 1% on a like-for-like basis, a report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has revealed. The latest BRC – KPMG Retail Sales Monitor – covering the five weeks from 26 February to 1 April – found total retail sales fell by 0.2% in March, compounded…
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Mar- 2017 -8 MarchEconomy
Budget 2017: Government unveils £300m business rate relief fund
The government has helped soften the blow of April’s business rate revaluation with a £300m relief fund for local councils. The announcement was made by chancellor Philip Hammond at today’s Spring Budget, in which he said business rates raise £25bn each year – all of which, by 2020, will be…
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7 MarchEconomy
Non-food retail sales record first quarterly decline in six years
Non-food retail sales fell in the three months to February 2017, making it the first quarterly decline for the category since November 2011. The latest Retail Sales Monitor from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG found non-food retail sales fell 0.4% on a like-for-like basis and 0.2% on a…
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Jan- 2017 -16 JanuaryEconomy
High street footfall rises in December for first time in five years
UK high streets saw a 0.8% year-on-year rise in footfall in December as retailers managed to draw in last-minute shoppers. The latest monthly Footfall and Vacancies Monitor from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard found the increase in high street footfall – the first December rise for five years…
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10 JanuaryEconomy
Last-minute Christmas rush boosts retail sales in December
UK retail sales continued to grow in December after consumers left their shopping until the final week before Christmas. The latest British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG Retail Sales Monitor found UK retail sales increased 1% on a like-for-like basis from December 2015, when they had increased 0.1% from the…
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4 JanuaryEconomy
Shop prices show first sign of ‘upward trend’ in December
Shop prices have shown their “first sign of an upward trend” after deflation slowed during December. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen Shop Price Index revealed overall shop prices fell 1.4% in December, a deceleration from the 1.7% fall during the preceding two months. Non-food deflation accelerated to 1.9%,…
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Dec- 2016 -12 DecemberEconomy
Footfall falls in November despite Black Friday sales
Retail footfall decline 1% in November compared with the same month last year, despite the popular Black Friday discounting event on 25 November. The latest monthly Footfall and Vacancies Monitor from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard found the decline was a deepening of the 0.9% fall in October…
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5 DecemberEconomy
Shop prices fall for 43rd consecutive month
Shop prices fell 1.7% in November, the 43rd consecutive month of declines and unchanged from October’s rate of deflation. The latest British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen Shop Price Index also revealed non-food deflation accelerated to 2.3% during the month from the 2.1% recorded in the previous two months –…
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Nov- 2016 -8 NovemberEconomy
BRC: Jewellery and watch sales continue to grow in October
Favourable exchange rates have produced another strong month for jewellery and watch sales, according to new figures. The latest British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG Retail Sales Monitor found jewellery and watches to be the best performing sector – out of 12 – as both like-for-like and total sales increased…
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Oct- 2016 -27 OctoberCurrent Affairs
Retail employment falls 3% in third quarter of 2016
Retail employment fell 3% in the third quarter of the year when compared with the same period in 2015, according to new data released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The fall in employment, which represented the third consecutive quarter for falls in employment, came as the number of retail…
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